1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for minimally invasive closure of atrial septal defect without cardiopulmonary bypass and, in particular, a device and a method for minimally invasive closure of atrial septal defect via a right minithoracotomy to deploy a pericardial patch under a transesophageal echocardiography guidance.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are currently two methods for the closure of atrial septal defect (ASD), conventional or minimally invasive surgical method and percutaneous device transcatheter closure. The former requires cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and the latter, which entails the deployment of a sizable device in the heart, is hampered by the defect size and circumferential margins adjacent to the superior and inferior venae cavae, pulmonary vein, mitral valve, and aortic sinus.
Recently, robotically assisted surgical systems have enhanced the precision of minimally invasive cardiac surgery. These costly procedures, however, still require the CPB. CPB is widely recognized as having a number of adverse effects, including generation of microemboli and an inflammatory response associated with increased cytokine production and complement activation, begetting neurological dysfunction in adults and neurodevelopmental dysfunction especially in children.
In addition, recently cosmetic sequelae following cardiac surgery has rendered minimal access approaches with equivalent results and a nearly invisible scar is more favorable.